


Brighter Now

by Halmaithor



Series: Choices [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Bloodletting, Clary has her memories back btw, Downworlder Politics, Feelings, Fluff, Immortal Husbands, Miscommunication, Multi, Parabatai Feels, Post-Canon, Sequel, Vampire Alec Lightwood, can u believe I almost forgot to include Chairman Meow in the character tags, phew that's a lot of people and relationships, such a fake fan lol, this is a very discussion-based fic lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-02-23 07:30:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23741182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Halmaithor/pseuds/Halmaithor
Summary: 'Alec, why aren’t you a Daylighter yet?’As time goes on, Alec has fewer and fewer good answers to that question. Sequel to 'Watch Over Me'.
Relationships: Alec Lightwood & Isabelle Lightwood, Alec Lightwood & Jace Wayland, Clary Fray & Alec Lightwood, Clary Fray/Jace Wayland, Isabelle Lightwood & Jace Wayland, Lorenzo Rey/Andrew Underhill, Magnus Bane & Jace Wayland, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Simon Lewis/Isabelle Lightwood
Series: Choices [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1710190
Comments: 12
Kudos: 176





	Brighter Now

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all! So, after I posted [‘Watch Over Me’](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21224867/chapters/50531864), a question was raised in the comments: Surely Jace would let Alec drink some of his blood, so Alec could become a Daylighter?
> 
> I did consider putting that turn of events in the main fic - but I didn't for two reasons.  
> 1) After the themes of sacrifice and compromise in 'Watch Over Me', it felt like an easy way out. It didn't seem to fit the tone.  
> 2) I wasn't entirely certain that it was just Jace's blood that made Simon a Daylighter. I was a little hazy on that part of the lore, aha. 
> 
> But, thanks to receiving that question from both PhoenixStar73 and kbl55429, this little plot idea was born. So please enjoy a little fate intervention, miscommunication, and fluff. 
> 
> (p.s. - As mentioned in the tags, **this fic contains bloodletting, specifically from the wrist.** Just wanted to give a heads up, as I get how that could be triggering for some!)  
> (p.p.s. - Title from 'Daylight' by Taylor Swift, which I love, and which got in my head _every damn time _I started working on this fic. 😂)__

The first person to ask about it is Simon.  
‘So – is there a reason Alec isn’t joining us?’

Magnus glances over at him, squinting a little in the low, golden sunlight, which is now only a breath away from brushing against the rooftops on Alicante’s horizon. ‘…Because I’m not especially eager to be a widower again?’ he offers, raising an eyebrow. ‘Once was quite enough.’ On the fully-reclined deckchair between them, Izzy laughs, though her eyes stay closed.  
Simon gives him a half-embarrassed, half-withering look. ‘I _mean,_ why isn’t he a Daylighter by now? If Jace was willing to let _me_ at his angel blood, he’d give some to Alec, right?’  
‘I imagine you’re right,’ Magnus says, lying back down in his own chair, ‘but it’s not advisable right now. Alec’s system is still making the adjustment from _Shadowhunter_ to _vampire_ – there’s no telling how angelic blood could impact that transition. According to Raphael, it could take another month or so before he’s completely stable.’  
‘Huh,’ says Simon. ‘I guess that makes sense. Sucks that he can’t join us though. It’s a beautiful evening.’

Magnus hums in agreement, taking another look at the horizon, pleased to see that the sun is sinking fast now. In another few minutes, it’ll be gone, and their evening can get properly underway.  
Perhaps for lesser hosts, these challenges – namely, that two of the four diners don’t really need food, and that one of them has a deadly sunlight allergy – may be too much to overcome when planning an _al fresco_ dinner party. But Magnus just smiles, feeling the last of the sunlight graze against his skin. He’s certain it’s going to be a wonderful evening.

  
***

  
‘Alec,’ Clary says, leaning forward and helping herself to another freshly-baked pretzel from the coffee table, ‘why aren’t you a Daylighter yet?’  
He feels a smile tug at the corner of his mouth. She’s only had her memories back for a month or so, but she’s still the same old Clary, stubborn and straightforward. God help him, but Alec’s missed her. ‘I don’t have a sire,’ he explains. ‘She was dead before I even turned, so that connection never formed.’  
Clary frowns, covering her mouth and speaking around a mouthful of pretzel. ‘Alright. So?’  
_‘So,_ a sire’s a stabilising influence on a new vampire,’ he says. ‘And Shadowhunter blood’s addictive at the best of times – you remember what happened with Izzy and Raphael?’ Clary nods. ‘Without a sire, something like that is even more of a risk. I don’t wanna go down that road – especially living in the middle of Alicante, with Shadowhunters everywhere. I’d be too much of a threat.’

‘So that’s it?’ Clary asks. ‘You just… can’t take that option?’  
Alec tilts his head a fraction, non-committal. ‘Not quite. Generally speaking, the whole ‘fledgling bloodlust’ thing calms down around six to eight months in,’ he explains. ‘Which means that in a couple more months, I’ll be out of the woods on that front. And once I’ve got that control, it’ll help negate the addiction risk – maybe enough to make it worth taking that chance.’  
Clary smiles. ‘I’m glad,’ she says.

Magnus and Jace come back in from the kitchen then, each holding a small plate of perfectly-decorated cupcakes. ‘I’m still convinced you used your magic when I wasn’t looking,’ Jace is saying, frowning down at his plate. ‘These are way too perfect. They’ve all got the _exact_ same number of sprinkles, for fuck’s sake!’  
Magnus smirks, placing his plate down on the coffee table, his expression turning a little fond as Clary immediately lights up and reaches for a cupcake. ‘You were watching me the whole time, Blondie,’ he points out, falling back into the seat beside Alec. ‘Surely you’re not suggesting that a smart, powerful Shadowhunter like yourself fell for warlock trickery?’

Alec grins, draping an arm around his husband’s shoulders as he and Jace continue their bickering. He’s utterly, completely content in the present moment, and all his thoughts about the future disappear.

  
***

  
By the time Izzy asks him, he realises that he’s running out of reasons.  
‘It’s been weeks since the date Magnus and Raphael estimated it would be safe to try,’ she points out. ‘So you shouldn’t be at any greater risk of addiction than Simon was, right?’  
‘…Theoretically,’ Alec admits grudgingly. He finishes washing up his glass, rinsing away the remainder of the red in the sink and drying his hands before he takes her off speaker again. ‘There’s no real way to know. With all the different factors, it’s kind of unprecedented.’  
‘I get that,’ she says, ‘but you guys set that date for a reason. I thought you agreed it was worth the risk.’  
‘Yeah, well, it’s complicated,’ Alec says, aware he’s starting to sound annoyed but not particularly caring.

Izzy must catch his tone, too, because she pauses. ‘…Alec.’ Oh, great. Now she’s using the _patient, helpful little sister_ voice that’s coaxed out every damn secret Alec’s ever tried to keep. ‘Come on. Something’s wrong, isn’t it? Why haven’t you asked Jace yet?’

Alec heaves a deep sigh. Damn perceptive, nosy little sisters. ‘It’s… awkward,’ he confesses. ‘It’s not – it’s hardly a normal request,’ he continues hurriedly, defensive. _‘Hey, can I drink your blood?_ What am I supposed to do, just call him up and _ask?’_ It sounds like an idiotic excuse, even to his own ears; if he was capable of blushing anymore, he gets the feeling he’d be beet red by now.

‘Well… _yeah,_ ’ Izzy says slowly. ‘I mean, maybe you’d wanna ask in person rather than over the phone. But that’s not exactly hard – you’re literally married to the inventor of the portal. And you know you have a standing welcome here.’  
Alec sinks down into a chair – one far away from the windows, after Chairman Meow took it upon himself to play with the curtains the other day, and gifted Alec a sunburned welt on his forearm. ‘He knew the date as well as you did, Izzy,’ he says quietly.  
‘What?’  
‘He knew the date. He knows we’re past it now. And he hasn’t mentioned it.’ Nervousness coils loosely in his gut. ‘What if he’s changed his mind? What if it’s too weird for him? He only let Simon drink his blood because he was _dying,_ not because he wanted to go gallivanting about in the sunshine.’  
‘Alec,’ Izzy says gently, ‘I’m sure he’d do it if you asked.’  
‘I know,’ Alec says. ‘But I’m not gonna guilt him into it. I’m _fine.’_ He glances down at the burn on his arm, glad they’re having this conversation over the phone. ‘I’m not gonna put him in a position where he feels like he has to say yes. It’s his blood, and it has to be his choice.’

Izzy’s quiet for a few moments, but then she lets out a sigh. ‘I get it,’ she says. ‘And I’m sure he’s just… waiting for the right moment to bring it up. It’s a pretty momentous thing – _unprecedented,_ right?’ she says, injecting a bit of cheer into her tone.  
Alec chuckles quietly. ‘Yeah,’ he says.

Across the room, Chairman Meow steps out from behind the curtains into a brief flash of sunlight, and Alec doesn’t know whether it’s fear or longing that twists his heart.

  
***

  
The moment Izzy hangs up, she marches over to Jace’s bedroom and raps sharply on the door.  
_‘Yeah?’_ comes the muffled reply. She walks in, and Jace looks up suspiciously from where he’s stretched out on his bed, reading. ‘Uh-uh. No. This is my _one_ day off, so unless the world’s ending, _again,_ I’m not-‘  
Izzy rolls her eyes, striding forward and hopping up to sit cross-legged on the bed. ‘Relax. It’s past ten, I’m off-duty.’ So far, she’s been managing to keep to that schedule, too, clocking out at ten each day and handing over to either Underhill or Huntsworth for the night shift. ‘Where’s Clary?’ she asks.  
‘She’s having dinner with Luke. Why, you need her for something?’  
‘No – well,’ she amends, ‘only if you say no.’  
‘No to what?’ he asks, putting his book down.

She fixes him with an understanding, but uncompromising stare. ‘It’s been weeks, Jace. Why isn’t Alec a Daylighter yet?’

He seems taken aback for a moment. ‘…Because he hasn’t asked me,’ he says, frowning.  
‘And do you know why that is?’  
‘Honestly, I figured it was a political decision,’ he says with a shrug. ‘Magnus mentioned that Alec’s been trying to establish trust in the Alicante vampire factions, so he can liaise between them and his old Clave contacts. He’s already an ex-Shadowhunter – if he turns into a Daylighter, too, that might make his standing with the vampires even more complicated.’

Izzy sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. It’s a fair assumption – unfortunately, it’s also way off base. Sometimes, she thinks that these two got so dependent on knowing what the other was feeling, they never actually learned to _talk_ to each other. ‘Why didn’t you at least _ask_ him?’  
‘Because he feels like an outsider – he’s not a Shadowhunter anymore, but the vampires haven’t really accepted him either – and I think it’s more difficult for him than he’s letting on,’ Jace explains. ‘I don’t wanna keep bringing up something that bothers him like that.’

Izzy looks at him incredulously. ‘You were trying to spare his feelings?’ She groans. ‘By the Angel, Jace. Only you could pick the absolute _worst_ time to learn diplomacy.’  
Jace ignores that, his gaze focused. ‘So, what – you’re saying he _does_ want to be a Daylighter?’  
‘Yes!’ she exclaims, throwing her hands up. ‘Obviously! Screw the _politics_ – between the options of _sunlight-will-kill-you_ and _sunlight-WON’T-kill-you,_ what kind of moron would he have to be to pick the first one?’  
‘Then why didn’t he _ask_ me?’ Jace protests, standing up. ‘Obviously I’d do it if he asked-‘  
‘He didn’t want to _‘guilt you into it’,’_ she says, exasperatedly. _‘’Your blood, your choice,’_ or something.’  
Jace shakes his head, almost looking angry now. ‘He’s my parabatai,’ he says quietly. ‘I gave him a part of my _soul,_ I’m not gonna be weird about giving him a little blood. Of _course_ I’d do this for him.’

Izzy stands up. ‘Don’t tell me, tell _him,’_ she says. ‘Come on.’  
‘Where are we going?’ Jace asks, trailing along behind her.  
‘Alicante,’ she says, texting Simon to come and meet them.  
‘…Okay; new question – _how?’_  
‘Oh – didn’t I mention?’ She flashes him a smirk. ‘Underhill’s on duty tonight.’

Jace chuckles. ‘Of course.’

  
Minutes later, Izzy knocks on her own office door, waiting for the call of _‘come in’_ before opening it. ‘Isabelle,’ Underhill says, clearly surprised, but getting to his feet respectfully. On the chair next to his, Lorenzo inclines his head in silent greeting. ‘Is everything okay?’  
Izzy gestures for him to sit back down. ‘Everything’s fine,’ she says. ‘We’re actually here to see our esteemed High Warlock.’

She gives Lorenzo her most pleasant, innocent smile. ‘Remind me, Lorenzo – where do you and I stand on who owes who a favour?’

  
***

  
Alec rinses the toothpaste out of his mouth, contemplating the mouthwash on the side with a grimace. It’s the same one he’s always used, but ever since he turned, the taste of it’s become almost unbearable; it’s a bitter, fragrant burn now, not the clean coolness it used to be.  
Screw it. It’s nearly five in the morning, and he’s pretty ready for bed. (Which isn’t unusual, these days – between his vampirism and Magnus’ work often taking him overseas for a day or two, the rhythm of their household has become incredibly erratic.) He had hoped to wait up the extra hour or two until Magnus got back from Wellington, but it’s looking unlikely that he’ll make it, given how tired he is.  
Unfortunately, he only manages one step towards the bed before there’s a knock at the door.

He stifles a groan, trudging over to see who the hell is calling at this hour. He opens the door – and blinks in surprise. ‘Hi,’ he says, a little wary. ‘What are you guys doing here?’  
Izzy just grins, pushing past him into the loft and tugging Simon along with her. He looks questioningly at Jace.  
‘I wish you’d told me,’ Jace blurts out. ‘That you want to be a Daylighter.’

Alec’s face falls, and then he rounds on Izzy, frowning. ‘I didn’t tell you so _you_ could pressure him,’ he accuses.  
Izzy gives him an unimpressed look. ‘I _didn’t._ Don’t get me wrong, I would have – I’m not gonna dance around an issue like this, Alec. Not when it could literally be a matter of life and death for you. But as it happens, I didn’t _have_ to guilt him, not even a little, because he _wants_ to do this for you,’ she says, gesturing at Jace.

Alec turns back to where Jace is now standing, just inside the door. ‘Is that true?’ he asks quietly. ‘We’re not going ahead with this unless you’re really okay with it.’  
Jace’s expression softens. ‘I’m more than okay with it, Alec.’ He chuckles, sounding a little embarrassed. ‘The only reason I didn’t come here the day you were cleared for it was because I thought it might make things harder, you know? Being the only Daylighter when you’re trying to find an _in_ with the vampires here.’  
Alec thinks about that for a moment. ‘I think that might actually make things easier, in some ways,’ he says slowly. ‘Think about it – if I can go out in the daytime, that’s gonna make it a lot easier to do business with the Clave. People are less defensive on their own turf, at a time when they’re _not_ wishing they were home in bed. I can be a sort of bridge between a nocturnal society and a – a daytime one.’  
‘Diurnal,’ Simon supplies helpfully, shrugging when all three siblings turn to look at him. ‘What? Not just a pretty face,’ he jokes – which earns him two eye rolls, and one fond kiss on the cheek.

Jace’s gaze flicks back to Alec, and he smiles. ‘Alright then. Let’s get you sun-proof.’

  
After weeks of avoiding the subject, the process itself takes less than five minutes. Alec fetches the sharpest knife from the kitchen, and hands it to Jace along with a small glass. Jace makes a long cut along his wrist, quickly filling the glass, while Alec keeps his mouth closed to hide the fact that his fangs have automatically descended at the sweet smell of angel blood.

One iratze later, Jace isn’t bleeding anymore, and Alec’s holding the most important blood he’ll ever drink.  
He takes a deep breath – because undead or not, that’s a hard habit to break – and downs it.

  
  


***

  
When Magnus gets home an hour later, he raises an eyebrow at the number of people in his darkened lounge. ‘Hello,’ he greets, a little cautiously. ‘Is everything okay?’  
Izzy smiles at him – and it’s the sort of young, honest happiness he doesn’t see on her nearly as often as he’d like. ‘Yeah. Everything’s better than okay,’ she reassures him.  
He nods, glancing around as he joins them. ‘All right. Not that it isn’t wonderful to see you all, but… why are you here?’

Jace gives a cocksure grin. ‘For this.’  
He whirls around and throws open the curtains.

Magnus’ heart freezes in his chest, instinct taking over. Before the curtains are even halfway open, his right hand is swinging out, a wall of magic pushing Alexander back and around the corner, into the safety of the shadows. His left hand darts out in front of him, closing the curtains and sealing them to the window, before slamming down into a fist, immobilising Jace where he stands.  
He glares at Jace – or rather, whatever monster is wearing his skin, because he doubts that it’s _Jace_ who wants Alec dead – and lets his glamour drop, his magic pulsing golden for a moment. ‘Bad move,’ he growls.

There’s a sudden clamour as the others in the room seem to regain their voices all at once.  
‘Magnus, no-!’  
‘It’s alright, he’s just-!’  
‘No, wait wait wait, Alec’s a Daylighter!’  
That last one gets through, and Magnus almost drops Jace in his surprise, turning sharply to look at Simon. ‘He’s-?’ His head almost spins with how fast he looks over his other shoulder at Alec. ‘You’re…?’

Alec steps forward. ‘It’s alright,’ he breathes, half-smiling despite his lingering alarm, laying his hand gently on Magnus’ shoulder and coaxing him to drop the magic. (Izzy goes to check on Jace, and they begin quietly arguing. _‘You moron, what were you thinking?’ ‘What? We’re not allowed to have a little fun with the announcement?’ ‘Yeah, that looked really fun. You idiot.’)_

Magnus ignores them as best he can, focusing on Alec instead. ‘You’re a Daylighter?’ he asks softly.  
Alec nods, his smile growing. ‘Yeah. That’s why these guys are here. So I could have some of Jace’s blood.’  
‘And it worked?’ Magnus asks, voice raising urgently. ‘You’re sure?’  
Alec smirks. ‘Well, right up until you intervened, I think Jace had a plan for how we were going to find out.’  
‘Hm.’ Magnus glances back at Jace. ‘Sorry about that, Blondie. Although it must be said that scaring me like that is hardly the best idea you’ve ever had.’  
‘Yeah, yeah, okay,’ Jace grumbles. ‘It’s probably past midnight back in New York, alright? I’m tired. And I _have_ lost some blood.’  
Izzy snorts. ‘Oh, _please,’_ she says, the words half-lost in laughter. ‘It was _half a pint,_ you big baby. You’ve lost more than that on pretty much every mission you’ve ever been on.’

Alec rolls his eyes, before reaching out and taking Magnus’ hand. ‘Come on.’ He leads Magnus over to the balcony doors, leaving the others behind in the lounge.  
He doesn’t throw the curtains open. Instead, he raises his free hand, slow and steady, up to the partition. He inhales sharply when he starts to pull the curtain aside, and Magnus tenses, ready to pull him away – but then Alec is _smiling,_ pulling the curtain the rest of the way, and _– oh._

Magnus waves a hand, impatient for more of what he’s just caught a glimpse of, and the doors open. They step out onto the balcony, the morning sun shining over them pale and golden; and Magnus is transfixed.

Because in this light, Alexander is _ethereal._ His pallor is transformed into a beautiful blank canvas; the light dances behind his eyes; it frames him like a halo, as well, bouncing off gentle highlights in his curls that Magnus can’t help but reach up to touch.  
Magnus smiles, a little awestruck. ‘You’re even more beautiful in the sunlight, Alexander,’ he murmurs.  
Alexander smiles back at him, but his eyes sparkle impossibly more brightly, and he has to swallow before he speaks. ‘So are you.’

He leans down to capture a kiss, and the last thing Magnus thinks is that in this moment, his husband’s never looked more alive.

  
***

  
Two hours later, they’ve finally managed to banish Simon, Izzy and Jace back to New York, ordering them to go and get some sleep.  
Advice which, at this moment, Alec himself is ignoring - he couldn’t sleep right now even if he wanted to, joy and adrenaline surging through his veins as effectively as any heartbeat. The sunlight warms him as if from the inside out, and he welcomes it like an old friend. He leans against the railing, as if to get as close as possible, and stretches his arms until his hands are wide atop the stonework.  
He doesn’t know if the angels hear the prayers of vampires, but he thanks them anyway, overwhelmed with gratitude that he gets to _have this_ again. This _warmth,_ this _light;_ this chance to be a part of the waking world, instead of stealing through the shadows while it sleeps.

  
His fingers brush against Magnus’, and he clasps them gently. ‘At some point, I suppose we ought to go get some sleep,’ he says, resigned. Alec may not be able to sleep, but Magnus has had one hell of a long day, and there’s every chance _he_ will.  
But instead, Magnus just steps around him, his arms wrapping around Alec’s waist from behind and his head resting in the crook of Alec’s neck. ‘If there’s one thing I’ve learned in all my years,’ he mumbles, ‘it’s that when you stumble upon a miracle, you take the time to appreciate it.’

They’re quiet for a few more moments, and then Magnus huffs a laugh that tickles the curve of Alec’s shoulder. ‘Besides,’ he says, all faux-innocence, ‘we have things to do out here. Outside spaces such as this don’t just _happen.’_  
Alec fights a smile. ‘No?’  
‘Hm, absolutely not,’ Magnus assures him. ‘And because I know you’re a fan of doing housework the mundane way, that’s what we’ll be doing. There’s weeding to be done in the plant pots, replenishing the cats’ water bowls, sweeping the tiles – oh, actually, no. Those could probably use a proper scrub, instead.’  
Alec laughs softly. ‘Sounds like there’s quite a lot to do. This wouldn’t be payback, for all the time I couldn’t come out and help during the day, right?’  
He feels Magnus’ mouth twitch up into a smile. ‘Why, of course it is. You missed out on a lot of work whilst you were stuck inside, and now that you’re no longer darkness-bound, I think it’s high time you catch up.’ He chuckles, the sound low and comforting. ‘You may come to regret this decision,’ he teases.

But Alec just smiles fondly, reaching up to where Magnus’ arms are wrapped around him, sun-warmed and strong. ‘Never.’

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Do let me know what you thought. <3  
> [Find me on tumblr: silver-latin-and-salt :)](https://silver-latin-and-salt.tumblr.com/)


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